The present invention relates to cooling systems for cooling any type of vehicle, but particularly trucks, vans and golf carts. More particularly, the present invention relates to vehicular cooling systems which can be mounted on the roof of a cabin and which include an intake for external air which is humidified and then circulated within the vehicle cabin.
The interiors of vehicles parked in the sun can reach unacceptably high temperatures very rapidly. The interior temperature depends on the size of the vehicle, its color, materials forming the vehicle's structure and interior, the outside temperature, the radiant power of the sun, and various other factors. A high interior vehicle temperature reduces driving comfort and can lead to increased fuel consumption by use of an air conditioning system. It is not uncommon for vehicle owners to continue to run their engine even when the vehicle is not moving so as to activate the air conditioning system.
Vehicular evaporative cooling systems have been utilizing to cool vehicle interiors because they can be run using power from the vehicle's battery without operation of the vehicle engine. Furthermore, vehicular cooling systems are typically less expensive to operate and avoid the use of the refrigerant including those which have been known to be harmful to the atmosphere.
Vehicular evaporative cooling is generally carried out by passing air through an evaporative material manufactured from a porous material which is kept moist. The evaporative material fulfills a double function in both taking heat from the air, and functioning as a moisturizer by increasing the humidity within the air. The environment is cooled by the lower temperature of the humidified air (in the event that the water is colder than the ambient temperature) and by the evaporation of moisture.
In addition, a moving airstream can cause cooling. This cooling is achieved by transporting heat away from the skin. This process is increased if the skin is moistened with water that absorbs the heat prior to being removed from the skin through evaporation in a moving air stream.
These characteristics result in vehicular evaporative coolers providing significant benefits and advantages compared to traditional air conditioners. Vehicular evaporative coolers cost less to manufacture than air conditioning units and require less maintenance. Furthermore, since vehicular evaporative coolers do not consume power from the vehicle engine, vehicular evaporative coolers are capable of being operated even when the vehicle's engine is not running, and evaporative vehicular coolers do not reduce the available power reduced by the engine when the vehicle is moving.
Unfortunately, vehicular evaporative coolers still suffer from significant drawbacks. Perhaps foremost, the evaporative media within a vehicular cooler does not efficiently transfer moisture into the air. Furthermore, bacteria can build up within the moist environment of the evaporative media.
Still an additional disadvantage with vehicular evaporative coolers is that they typically require that a large hole be formed within the vehicle structure to accept the vehicular cooler unit. Unfortunately, his large hole degrades the structural integrity of the vehicle.
Thus, there is a significant need for a vehicular cooler which improves efficiency for humidifying the air.
There is also a need for a vehicular evaporative cooler that reduces the propensity of bacteria to form within the moist environment of a vehicular evaporative cooler.
Moreover, there is a significant need for an improved vehicular cooler construction that can be installed upon a vehicle with require that large holes be formed within the vehicle structure.